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The latest mesothelioma drug to be granted a clinical trial is tazemetostat, a protein inhibitor which has already shown positive signs in treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

It’s been described using a ‘lock and key metaphor’ by Dr Marianna Koczywas, a thoracic oncologist from the US who says: “You have a specific [cancer] key, and a specific keyhole it goes through. If you can lock that keyhole, you can lock it out.

“These malignant cells rely on a pathway for growth and division so you try and block that specific pathway.”

The drug is currently being tested in a phase II trial at centres here in the UK as well as in France and the US.

Dr Koczywas said: “We’re opening this trial because we believe it is promising. We still have very limited options for patients with mesothelioma and welcome any therapy with potential to benefit the patients, prolong life and provide better quality of life. We think this drug can do that.”

How effective is it?

The drug has already been successfully used in the treatment of other diseases, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, synovial sarcoma and some genetically defined tumours, all of which use a similar pathway to tumour cell proliferation.

Studies have previously shown that 60% of mesothelioma cases show a mutation of BAP1, a tumour suppressor gene which tazemetostat has effectiveness for with other cancers.

Research has shown that those who lack the BAP1 protein are much more likely to develop mesothelioma, but this drug could give them a better chance of survival when used in conjunction with other forms of therapy.

Koczywas continued: “Having this type of personalized and targeted therapy for patients is the way of the future.

“You will see a higher response rate and a longer benefit by designing very specific, targeted therapies. We can select patients better today.”

The drug is produced by a biopharmaceutical company by the name of Epizyme Inc.

Their president and CEO Robert Bazemore has suggested that the drug could even be used to treat other types of cancer.

He said: “We believe that tazemetostat has the potential to treat multiple types of cancer in patients who have limited treatment options.

“We are moving quickly to expand the tazemetostat clinical program into mesothelioma.”

Tazemetostat is currently being promoted as a second-line therapy, for those who have already undergone chemotherapy but have relapsed, and would be used in combination with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

The trial is expected to run until September of 2018, and can hopefully offer mesothelioma patients a new form of treatment in the future.

Dr Koczywas concluded by saying: “Cancer types that rely on this pathway seem to be responding to the drug.

“This therapy should be appealing to patients who have very few options. Participating in clinical trials is crucial to advancing cancer treatment in general, and maybe moving us closer to a cure.”

For all the latest news relating to asbestos-related diseases and clinical trials involving drugs which might be used to treat them make sure to keep checking our news page here at Asbestos Advice Helpline.

A drug which has been discovered in Caribbean sea squirts could be effective in stunting the growth of mesothelioma tumour cells.

Research which has been carried out at the Medical University of Vienna found that a toxin by the name of trabectedin, which the creature uses to defend itself against predators, could be used in the treatment of the asbestos-related disease.

Walter Berger who led the study at the university’s Institute of Cancer Research said: “It has looked very promising to this point. It’s a fascinating new substance — from its origins to its mode of action.”

The bottom-dwelling coral-like organism has been harvested by a European pharmaceutical company and had its toxin extracted to produce this new drug.

The study was published earlier this month in the Molecular Cancer Therapeutics journal and focused on the development of novel strategies for therapy-refractory cancer such as mesothelioma and other lung cancers.

In the mesothelioma trial, trabectedin effectively served as a chemotherapy-like agent which targeted DNA and delivered an immune response and also showed great synergy when combined with cisplatin, which is the form of chemotherapy which is currently used as standard.

Dr Berger said: “We found excellent activity, compared to many drugs that have been tried. Mesothelioma, as you know, is very difficult to treat. This was encouraging.”

In the preclinical study, the researchers tested trabectedin on 13 mesothelioma surgical specimens, six mesothelioma cell lines and two nonmalignant pleural tissue samples.

The drug prompted a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on all mesothelioma cell cultures on all of the mesothelioma cell cultures but lesser effect on the nonmalignant ones.

However, it generated a much better response when combined with cisplatin, before being combined with a group of proteins that regulate cell death by inducing apoptosis.

The research particularly showed an impressive response with the sarcomatoid cell type of mesothelioma, the least common of the cell types and one of the most resistant to current therapies.

Doctors in Europe and Japan are also administering another version of the drug, known as lurbinectedin in combination with other chemotherapy drugs to attempt to treat inoperable ovarian cancer.

In an earlier study in the Lung Cancer journal, Swiss researchers found that lurbinectedin effectively reduced tumour size and also limited the side effects of chemotherapy which can often be severe.

Five sites in Italy are currently conducting the only clinical trial involving trabectedin and mesothelioma, where the early results are promising.

As scientists search far and wide for new ways to effectively treat mesothelioma, a promising combination seems to have emerged from the least likely of places.

A drug which has been derived from the eggs of leopard frogs has shown promising signs when administered with dihydroartemisinin, a malaria drug better known as DHA.

This comes from a Chinese report which has claimed that the combination could have anti-tumour effects on non-small cell lung cancer which hasn’t been seen in more conventional cancer drugs.

What is it?

The drug in question is called Onconase (also known as Ranpirnase) and is a cytotoxic enzyme which is found in the stem cells of the leopard frog eggs and early embryos.

It may sound strange but studies have shown that the drug can help to shrink mesothelioma tumours by attaching itself to specific receptors which are only found on the cancerous cells.

While DHA is primarily a malaria drug, it is also known to exhibit antitumour and antivirus properties.

How could it be used to treat mesothelioma?

The study was undertaken by researchers at the Tongji University in Shanghai who wanted to see if DHA could enhance the effectiveness of Onconase.

To test their hypothesis, the scientists applied the new combination to mesothelioma cells in the lab.

This resulted in a ‘synergistic effect’, which is where the two drugs have a greater effect than they would do when both used individually.

This prompted the team to move their testing onto live mice, where the combination produced a similar effect, disrupting the cancer cells’ ability to form blood vessels to feed the growing tumour (known as angiogenesis).

Dr Ruling Shen, who was part of the study said: “These results imply that the anti-angiogenesis effects may make important contributions to the in vivo antitumor effects of the Onc/DHA combination treatment.”

A potential novel treatment?

The usual approach of using chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma uses a combination of pemetrexed (Alimta) and a platinum-based drug such as cisplatin.

This is widely accepted among doctors as the best form of first-line treatment, although its effects are usually marginal and only extends patients’ survival from the disease by a few months.

This is why so much research is going into finding new forms of drug to better treat the disease and ultimately improve survival rates.

The signs from this study are certainly promising, with the report concluding that: “The Onc/DHA combination therapy may have the potential to become a novel regimen for NSCLC and mesothelioma.”

Thoracoscopy is a procedure which is used to diagnose and then treat pleural diseases such as mesothelioma.

In a recently published study, the procedure has shown to provide the necessary information needed to make a mesothelioma diagnosis in around 80 percent of patients, that’s a rise of 20% in the last three decades.

The research was carried out by a group of Italian pulmonary medicine experts who said that the procedure sometimes also referred to as ‘pleuroscopy’, has steadily improved as doctors have become more adept at using it to target and diagnosed mesothelioma.

Difficulties in Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer which develops on the membrane that surrounds the lungs. It is well known for being particularly difficult to diagnose.

The reason for this is because many of its common symptoms are shared with a number of other diseases. Things like coughs, shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue are shared by a number of lung related illnesses.

The only way to accurately pinpoint and diagnose mesothelioma is by examining its cells under a microscope.

The difficulty in discovering mesothelioma can lead to misdiagnosis and mistreatment which are unfortunate reasons why the outlook of mesothelioma is worse than many other cancers.

Diagnosis is made even more difficult because mesothelioma tumours are notoriously challenging to find to even take a piece of tissue to examine to begin with.

However, thoracoscopy utilises a specifically designed camera, known as a thoracoscope, to allow a surgeon inside the chest of a patient and can improve mesothelioma diagnosis because they can then actively take a piece of tumour tissue for examination.

The Study

The Italian study, which was published on 6th August 2016 in the Annals of Thoracic Medicine examined trends in the use of this procedure in those with mesothelioma or other thoracic diseases.

Over half of the patients were diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma or another lung cancer. Among the other 50 percent, tuberculosis was the most common non-cancerous illness.

The research team concluded that the likelihood of medical thoracoscopy providing the information to accurately diagnose lung diseases like mesothelioma increased from 57 percent to nearly 80 percent over the course of the 29-year study period.

Speaking at the study’s conclusion, Dr Alberto Valsecchi said, “Medical thoracoscopy has a great diagnostic yield that can be improved by practice permitting to achieve a specific histological diagnosis in about 80 percent of patients.”

He also said that the research team had found that careful patient selection is vital in acquiring the best possible results. Patients with mesothelioma, who had pleural effusion or excessive lung fluid had a higher diagnostic yield than those without.

While being diagnosed with mesothelioma is incredibly tough for the person involved, it also has a huge impact upon their family members, especially if they’re going to be caring for them through their illness.

Caring for someone with mesothelioma is hard work, and it’s understandable that you might need help or support.

Here are a couple of the organisations which you can turn to if you are a carer or family member of someone who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

CarersUK is an organisation set up specifically to help those who are looking after those who are seriously ill.

They’re particularly helpful when it comes to the more complicated side of being a carer, things such as the paperwork surrounding rights and entitlement.

They have a free advice helpline which is available five days a week on 0808 808 7777, where they’re happy to give you advice on everything, whether it be form filling or just coping with emotions.

They also have a strong online community of carers where you can share your experiences of being a carer with others from around the country and a team of local ambassadors who work to put local carers in touch with one another.

Carers UK is also at the forefront of campaigning for more help for carers and achieving new rights.

The Carer’s Trust is another organisation specifically for carers and have a UK-wide network of partner services to support them.

They also have an extensive network of support specifically for young carers, who face a whole set of unique challenges.

They provide emotional and practical support, as well as offering to provide care so that you can take a well-earned break at times.

If you are a carer of someone who is suffering from mesothelioma and they haven’t yet sought compensation, be sure to give us a call for free here at Asbestos Advice Helpline for advice and support and to talk through your options.

Unfortunately, there are many diseases which are treatable but not entirely curable, mesothelioma is one of them.

When you are diagnosed with or begin treatment for one of these diseases, you may be asked to consider taking part in a medical trial alongside treatment.

Medical trials are research studies that explore a particular disease. They look to discover whether a new method of treatment is remotely safe, effective and most importantly better than previous ones.

So, if you or a close friend or family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, here’s 5 reasons to consider enrolling in a clinical trial.

New Treatments

Although the new treatments you will receive will largely be untested, they could prove to be incredibly successful. The majority of clinical trials involving mesothelioma aren’t too radical, so they involve current treatments mixed with the new ones.

What this means is you will still receive the standard level of care you’d have received anyway, but with extra, potentially successful added treatments.

Just take a look at this trial which we featured in our news section, which improved the quality of life of those treated.

With the right trial and the right circumstances, you could find yourself receiving life -changing treatments which aren’t available anywhere else.

Leading Healthcare

For many healthcare professionals, trying to further medicine by being part of a research trial is one of the pinnacles of the profession.

Because of this, the doctors, physicians and specialists serving on clinical trials tend to be the best of the best. On top of this, trials often take place in the top medical centres.

Not only will you have top quality treatment, there’s also a good chance it will be free. Because trials run on volunteers, they are mostly free.

Taking Control

No matter the illness, when visiting the doctor for your next treatment, it’s understandable to feel a little helpless. We simply trust in the doctor and do whatever they ask.

However, choosing to take part in a trial means you take more control of your own care. It is our very nature to look after ourselves as best we can, so it makes complete sense to want to search for the best possible treatments.

Follow-Up Treatments

If you take part in a particularly successful trial, as a participant, you would be among the first people to receive any follow-up treatments.

This could be potentially life changing and will also mean you receive these treatments for free.

Helping Future Generations

Clinical trials, above all else, are about furthering and developing treatments so that in the future we will be better equipped to treat people who fall ill.

One of the reasons you might consider taking part in a mesothelioma trial is that regardless of whether you personally gain from it or not, you know future generations will.

If you are interested in a mesothelioma based clinical trial, you can take a look at all of those available in the UK via the NHS website, simply follow this link.

If you do suspect asbestos is present, the first thing to know is that if the material which contains the asbestos is in good condition and not likely to be damaged, then it may be left in place, as long as it is closely monitored and managed.

The asbestos will need to be removed if it is considered to contain ‘higher risk’ asbestos materials (which is in the majority of cases) then you will need to consult a licensed contractor to remove the asbestos.

‘Duty to Manage’

If you are responsible for looking after a non-domestic property, then you have a ‘duty to manage’ any asbestos which might be present.

This means you must take reasonable steps to find out whether asbestos might be present and what condition it is in, as well as to monitor it and assess if it poses a risk.

If those who use or work on the site are deemed to be at risk from asbestos exposure, then you must manage the asbestos and if necessary, arrange for it to be removed.

And if you wish to carry out on any building or maintenance work on premises where asbestos is present,

Removal

It goes without saying that asbestos removal is a very dangerous job, and these materials are more likely to release large amounts of the harmful asbestos fibres while they’re being removed.

For this reason, those who remove these materials must be fully licensed, and have undertaken specific training and make use of sophisticated, specialist breathing apparatus.

There are a couple of lower level asbestos removal tasks which do not require a license, as any exposure from them would be minimal and would not pose a significant health risk, as long as the correct precautions are taken.

If you are considering carrying out non-licensed work, then you often have to notify the enforcing authorities anyway, which you can read more about here.

Any asbestos waste must be double wrapped and appropriately labelled to show that it is a hazard and to stop any of the fibres escaping into the air.

You should also only ever dispose of asbestos at a licensed disposal site, which you can find through your local authority, not in a skip or other such means of disposal.

However, in the majority of instances, we would recommend that you consult a licensed removal company, especially if you’re not sure of the risks.

Remember, if you are suffering from any kind of asbestos-related disease, be sure to get in touch with us here at the Asbestos Advice Helpline to see if you might be entitled to compensation.

When diagnosed with a serious illness or disease such as cancer, a holiday can be the perfect way to give you time to come to terms with what lies ahead. Alternatively, you may well want to go on holiday to celebrate having successful surgery or treatments.

Among the many things that need organising before a holiday, one of the most important is travel insurance.

Travel insurance is vital because it covers cancellations, luggage, personal belongings and most important of all medical expenses.

Cover for Cancer Sufferers

Generally, many insurers are reluctant to cover someone suffering from a serious health condition such as cancer. This is because you are more likely to either need expensive medical treatment while abroad or will cancel the holiday all together in advance due to ill health.

However, don’t get too downhearted, because there are ways to get covered so you can go enjoy that well deserved holiday.

Essentially, there are two ways in which you might get covered for a holiday, one more comprehensive than the other.

A select amount of mainstream insurers might well cover you for travel insurance if you have cancer. However, while they will cover you for cancellations and lost luggage, they will not cover you for anything medical related. Depending on your health, this could obviously be very risky.

The more comprehensive option is to search for a specialist insurance company. There are a number of specialist insurers who give full travel cover to people suffering from cancer. The drawback is that this sort of cover requires you to pay a much higher premium.

The process of applying for this sort of travel insurance is much more rigorous than standard cover too. First of all, you may well be required to provide a letter from your doctor which says you are fit and healthy enough to travel.

Providing your doctor clears you for travel, you will then likely have to answer a lot of questions about your cancer diagnosis treatments and prognosis, which for many can be understandably distressing.

The premium you pay will depend on the severity of your cancer and the stage of treatment you’re currently undertaking.

Specialist cancer travel insurance can also vary depending on the country you plan on travelling to. For example, premiums for a holiday in America are usually higher because of their health system.

Cover Once You’ve Recovered

It would be entirely reasonable to think that once you enter remission that it wouldn’t be so difficult to get travel insurance, however, it isn’t quite that simple.

Different insurers have different policies on covering people who’ve recovered from cancer. Some need you to have been clear just a couple of months and others won’t cover you unless you’ve been clear for a number of years.

One thing that they will all have in common is that they will ask for a note from your doctor to officially confirm you actually have recovered.

Whether you are currently suffering from cancer or in recovery, the attitude of insurers can seem a little harsh.

However, it is very important to always give them the necessary information because if you need to claim and they discover you have lied, you may find yourself in a very expensive situation.

EHIC

The free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which many of you will probably have, entities UK residents to emergency hospital treatment whilst temporary visiting a European Union nation, as well as a select few others. Read more on it here.

Remember that this is not a direct substitute for travel insurance and should be taken on holiday as well as insurance.

This card means you will be treated like a local in a hospital which is not always a good thing. Some countries don’t have the same standard of healthcare as the UK or they expect some form of payment for treatments.

Extra Tips

If you suffer from cancer and are considering a holiday, the first thing you should always do is to seek the advice of your doctor before committing to anything.

Once you have booked everything and have secured your travel insurance, remember to take any documents detailing your diagnosis, any medication and contact details for your doctor in the UK.

If you are on medication when you leave, check ahead if it is available in the country you’re visiting in case you misplace your prescribed amount.

Certain forms of cancer can make sufferers more susceptible to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), so make sure to take precautions and ask flight staff about any medical equipment on board before you take off.

Depending on your condition, consider what type of holiday you’ll be able to enjoy. While a trek through the Amazon rainforest might sound amazing, the physical demands, long-distance flights and vaccinations might not be great for you right now.

If you are concerned about the quality of healthcare in the country you’re planning on visiting, get in touch with the local Embassy or Consulate who should be able to give you all the information you need.

Our solicitors were instructed by Mr G following his diagnosis of asbestos induced lung cancer.

Mr G was employed by Frost Asbestos Limited to carry out asbestos stripping works in various places to include power stations and factories.

Asbestos was previously used in industrial settings to insulate high pressure steam pipes.This asbestos would often become old and cracked meaning it had to be replaced.The replacement of the lagging involved workers such as Mr G using hammers, hack saws, wire brushes and even axes to chop away at the old asbestos lagging causing it to fall away.This work exposed Mr G to copious amounts of asbestos dust.It was this asbestos exposure that led to Mr G to suffer from asbestos induced lung cancer.

Our Specialist Industrial Disease Solicitor took detailed statements from Mr G and his ex-colleagues and used this evidence in order to pursue a claim against Mr G’s previous employer.

We also assisted Mr G in applying for government benefits which he was entitled to, namely Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and a lump sum payment under the Pneumoconiosis (Etc) (Workers Compensation) Act 1979.

Sadly Mr G passed away as a result of his disease before his claim had been settled.Our solicitors continued to fight for justice for Mr G on behalf of his Estate.

Initially the defendants refused to negotiate a settlement of the claim and denied liability for Mr G’s injuries.

After lengthy legal arguments and the disclosure of detailed engineer’s reports compiled by specialists instructed by us the Defendant eventually entered in to settlement negotiations with Mr G’s Estate and agreed to pay compensation for Mr G’s injuries and losses.

Mr G’s Estate has thanked us for their friendly yet professional advice and assistance in pursing this claim and for not losing faith in achieving a successful outcome on Mr G’s behalf.

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare yet very deadly form of cancer caused by the exposure or inhalation of asbestos fibres. The cancer is particularly fatal due to the reason that it is resistant to standard cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy.

Whilst this form of cancer is more uncommon, unfortunately, cases of individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma are on the rise across some areas.

However, a new study conducted by researchers in Italy has potentially revealed a new therapeutic option which could potentially help individuals with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

This promising new therapy refers to a drug called trabectedin. In 2015, this particular drug received FDA approval for advanced sarcomas as well as ovarian cancer, yet it has now been suggested that when used in combination with a series of administered drugs, trabectedin could help to treat patients suffering from mesothelioma cancer.

Testing Trabectedin

Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research at the University of Vienna tested the drug on both malignant and healthy cells, as well as on mesothelioma surgical samples.

The author of the study, Mir Alireza Hoda was quoted in Benzinga’s article saying that “Trabectedin exerted a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect in all malignant pleural mesothelioma cell cultures in vitro…,”. The author goes on to reveal that “Non-malignant mesothelial cells were significantly less responsive.”

How Does The Drug Combat Mesothelioma?

The researchers of the study explained that trabectedin helped to battle the cancer by affecting cellular expression bcl-2. Bcl-2 is a group of proteins helping to regulate apoptosis (cell death) by causing or preventing cell death.

During the investigation as the dose of trabectedin increased, the treated cancerous cells decreased.

The results of the study also saw that trabectedin was regarded as being more effective at fighting mesothelioma when it was managed with drugs which can affect cells death or when administered with cisplatin, a drug used in chemotherapy treatment.

Another element of the study included the testing of the drug on peritoneal mesothelioma tumours from mice. It was revealed that the testing of trabectedin on the tumour revealed “significant antitumor activity”.

Conclusion

The study assessing the effectiveness of trabectedin has certainly displayed some very interesting, important and positive results in terms of being to help treat mesothelioma cancer.

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, as the options for effectively treating patients with mesothelioma are so limited, the results of the study have been both beneficial and promising in terms of a potential future course of treatment.

For the time being, though, trabectedin will have to undergo a lot more research and examination as it perhaps moves towards being used in mesothelioma clinical trials.

Here at Asbestos Advice Helpline, we strive to keep you updated with the most current news and updates surrounding mesothelioma, so make sure to head to our News Tab to find out more. Should you or someone you know require assistance concerning an asbestos-related disease, then please contact us here.